Txistorra Sausages

Txistorra — a thin, bright-red Basque sausage from Viana, at the foothills of the Basque mountains. Txistorra (pronounced "chees-tor-ra") is related to chorizo but is a different thing entirely: thinner, longer, fast-cured, and with a higher proportion of fat that makes it juicy and rich when cooked. The bright red colour comes from paprika, and the seasoning is simple — pork, paprika, garlic, salt, and a touch of cayenne. There is nothing complicated about txistorra, and that is the point.

In the Basque Country and Navarre, txistorra is everywhere. It is the sausage of pintxo bars and street festivals, fried in a hot pan and served on bread with a glass of txakolí. On Santo Tomás day — 21st December — stalls selling txistorra appear across every city in the region, and it is eaten with talo (a traditional corn flatbread) and cider as the Christmas season begins. It is a sausage that belongs to gatherings, to sharing, and to eating with your hands.

These txistorra are chipolata-style — thin enough to cook quickly and crisp on the outside while staying juicy inside. They are excellent fried, grilled, or baked, and work as well on a barbecue as they do sliced into a tortilla or tossed through scrambled eggs.

Origin: Viana, Basque Country, Spain

Ingredients: Pork meat, paprika, salt, garlic, cayenne pepper, preservatives (potassium nitrate and sodium nitrate), antioxidant (sodium ascorbate)

Storage: Refrigerate at 0–4°C. Use by date on packaging.

Net: 450g± (8 sausages)